Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't balance

[sectn8]

Hi All,
I have a 24' above ground pool i got installed about a month and a half ago. I filled the pool from my well and have a Zodiac sanitizer and chlorinator with a paper filter not sand. I have the zodiac cranked to max and i can't keep chlorine in for more than a day or two after i shock. My total alkalinity was high but my local pool place wanted me to fix the chlorine demand before we address the alkalinity. Last week they told me to put 13 bags of shock and that should take care of it, this week it's back down to zero and they want me to add 31 bags of shock (at $8 a bag, no way) to fix it but they can't guarantee it will fix it.

Here is my current chemistry they gave me.
Saturation index 1
TDS 700
CYA 40
total chlorine .2
Free chlorine 0
ph 8.2
total alkalinity 211
Adjusted total alkalinity 199
total hardness 266
optimizer + 0

My water is crystal clear and i'm at a loss. PLease, any help would be greatly appreciated. My wife grew up with a pool but this is my first.
Thanks
Scott

 

[ob1quixote]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

Have you run those numbers through the Pool Calculator www.poolcalculator.com ?

Adjust for your capacity at the top, and your pool surface, preferred chlorine source and preferred goals at the bottom. Enter your test levels in the "Now" column and hit "Calculate".

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

You can fix your pool for almost nothing by learning how to manage and test your own water. Start by Reading "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. Ask questions. Make sure that you understand chlorine is constantly being consumed in your pool and so must constantly be replenished

2. Lower your pH using muriatic acid down to 7.4 or so.

3. Starting tomorrow night, put a small jug of clorox in your pool in the evening and test to see if you have any chlorine left in the morning. report that result.

That'll help get you started and keep your pool clear while you make the decision to manage the pool yourself (you will need your own very good kit) or let the pool store "help" you.

 

[Richard320]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

I wonder if the chlorine sample isn't bleaching out from high chlorine?

The best way to know is to test it yourself.

 

[sectn8]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

Hi Dave,
I added a gallon of Muriatic yesterday and got the ph down to 7.8. I also added a gallon clorox and the chlorine was between 5-10 on the strip last night and the same this morning. Total alklinity was down slightly but still high.
I'm using the strips right now (I know not accurate i need a real test kit). Which test kit do you recommend?
Thanks
Scott

 

[Butterfly]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

Hi Dave,
I added a gallon of Muriatic yesterday and got the ph down to 7.8. I also added a gallon clorox and the chlorine was between 5-10 on the strip last night and the same this morning. Total alklinity was down slightly but still high.
I'm using the strips right now (I know not accurate i need a real test kit). Which test kit do you recommend?
Thanks
Scott

Well, the fav test kit around here is the TF100. It is the best bang for the buck (you can do more tests), has quality Taylor reagents and super service!
Also, http://www.TFTestKits.Net is owned by Dave, a/k/a duraleigh. He also owns this site, http://www.TroubleFreePool.com

The best investment we made in our pool was a good test kit. Period.

Here's a link from Pool School where recommended test kits are compared: pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

Welcome to the forum

 

[sectn8]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

Thanks Butterfly, I just ordered one.

 

[joshs2000ss]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

If indeed the chlorine is high and bleaching out the test, that could also be causing your high, possibly innacurate, pH numbers. You need to be sure before you continue the muratic acid treatments.

 

[ivyleager]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

Hello sectn8!

Do you have power out there in McHenry IL? I'm formerly from Hebron, and my family is currently without electricity since Monday am. (Going out there next week, and will hit the Cubs game Wednesday. Riding the train in.)

What exactly is a Zodiac sanitizer? Is this the new name for mineral/iron cartridges?

 

[sectn8]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

Hi Cary,
We do have power after 25 hours. Luckily i had a pool so i could get water to flush my toilets lol. There are still places around here that don't have power but they say they should be up by the end of today.

The Zodiac system is a system that has chlorine cartridges that you can dial up and down to control the amount of chlorine entering the pool and it also has a copper sulfate and silver mineral cartridge that sanitizes the water as it passes through. Here is a link to it. http://www.nature2.com/poolproducts/ing ... ogplus.asp

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Help! Crystal clear pool with no chlorine... Can't bal

You really should read the stuff about alternative sanitizers and stop and think about whether you want to continue that route.

The Zodiac system uses Trichlor whic also adds CYA to your pool.

Once you get the good test kit post the results for us.